It is remarkably freeing

to know in your bones that you are no longer obligated to apologize for something you do that doesn’t conform to someone else’s idea of what is right.

Especially if it is something you know is right for you, but you’ve denied yourself or apologized for it just to keep the peace.

You learned early on that failure is your lot, and you’ll never live up to expectations anyway, so why bother to live up to your own? Someone’s bound to be disappointed either way; it might as well be you. You can take it, right, stud?

And if you do walk the line, try to please everyone…why then, you’re a hero. For as long as it lasts, no matter the cost to you.

Of course, someday you’ll fall off that tightrope…because failure is what you do, isn’t it? And if you fall, you fail, right?

Maybe not. Maybe you just fall. Maybe you die upon landing, maybe not. Maybe your entire life cracks open and spills a huge mess all over the ground; or maybe, it bounces.

That’s the point of walking the tightrope, isn’t it? To see how long it takes for you to fall?

It couldn’t possibly be that you have to walk it just to get to the other side.

If that were true, it would suggest that failure is optional. And it’s a given that that’s not true. A given.

Well, it always has been. But maybe it’s time to just give that back.

About Tony Brown

Unknown's avatar
A poet with a history in slam, lots of publications; my personal poetry and a little bit of daily life and opinions. Read the page called "About..." for the details. View all posts by Tony Brown

16 responses to “It is remarkably freeing

  • radioactiveart

    Re: stop reading my mind damnit

    I know. I’m still stuck on it, too.

  • radioactiveart

    Re: stop reading my mind damnit

    I know. I’m still stuck on it, too.

  • radioactiveart

    Re: stop reading my mind damnit

    I know. I’m still stuck on it, too.

  • radioactiveart

    Re: stop reading my mind damnit

    I know. I’m still stuck on it, too.

  • monkeypudding

    stop reading my mind damnit

    that sounds pretty accurate.

    on another note, I finally got around to picking up “devils and dust”. I love it. his singing seems way stronger than ever before.

  • monkeypudding

    stop reading my mind damnit

    that sounds pretty accurate.

    on another note, I finally got around to picking up “devils and dust”. I love it. his singing seems way stronger than ever before.

  • monkeypudding

    stop reading my mind damnit

    that sounds pretty accurate.

    on another note, I finally got around to picking up “devils and dust”. I love it. his singing seems way stronger than ever before.

  • monkeypudding

    stop reading my mind damnit

    that sounds pretty accurate.

    on another note, I finally got around to picking up “devils and dust”. I love it. his singing seems way stronger than ever before.

  • radioactiveart

    Re: You hendonist!

    HEY! Good to hear from you.

    Gotta think about Sleater Kinney — I’m having surgery later that week and might be too balled up with last minute stuff to get out…

  • radioactiveart

    Re: You hendonist!

    HEY! Good to hear from you.

    Gotta think about Sleater Kinney — I’m having surgery later that week and might be too balled up with last minute stuff to get out…

  • radioactiveart

    Re: You hendonist!

    HEY! Good to hear from you.

    Gotta think about Sleater Kinney — I’m having surgery later that week and might be too balled up with last minute stuff to get out…

  • radioactiveart

    Re: You hendonist!

    HEY! Good to hear from you.

    Gotta think about Sleater Kinney — I’m having surgery later that week and might be too balled up with last minute stuff to get out…

  • Anonymous

    You hendonist!

    That sounds pretty selfish, Tony. Abandon all expectations of your peers, dwell in your values, jeez, its damn near anarchy.

    Good for you!

    Why even walk the tightrope? Why not just sit and sip tea while watching the loons drop? Darjeeling goes great w/ shaudenfreude.

    Speaking of hendonism, Sleater-Kinney’s new album is out and they are playing at the Avalon on the 22nd. Drop me a line at jesse122378 (at) hotmail (dot) com if you want to head out there.

    Cheers-

    -Jesse

  • Anonymous

    You hendonist!

    That sounds pretty selfish, Tony. Abandon all expectations of your peers, dwell in your values, jeez, its damn near anarchy.

    Good for you!

    Why even walk the tightrope? Why not just sit and sip tea while watching the loons drop? Darjeeling goes great w/ shaudenfreude.

    Speaking of hendonism, Sleater-Kinney’s new album is out and they are playing at the Avalon on the 22nd. Drop me a line at jesse122378 (at) hotmail (dot) com if you want to head out there.

    Cheers-

    -Jesse

  • Anonymous

    You hendonist!

    That sounds pretty selfish, Tony. Abandon all expectations of your peers, dwell in your values, jeez, its damn near anarchy.

    Good for you!

    Why even walk the tightrope? Why not just sit and sip tea while watching the loons drop? Darjeeling goes great w/ shaudenfreude.

    Speaking of hendonism, Sleater-Kinney’s new album is out and they are playing at the Avalon on the 22nd. Drop me a line at jesse122378 (at) hotmail (dot) com if you want to head out there.

    Cheers-

    -Jesse

  • Anonymous

    You hendonist!

    That sounds pretty selfish, Tony. Abandon all expectations of your peers, dwell in your values, jeez, its damn near anarchy.

    Good for you!

    Why even walk the tightrope? Why not just sit and sip tea while watching the loons drop? Darjeeling goes great w/ shaudenfreude.

    Speaking of hendonism, Sleater-Kinney’s new album is out and they are playing at the Avalon on the 22nd. Drop me a line at jesse122378 (at) hotmail (dot) com if you want to head out there.

    Cheers-

    -Jesse

Leave a reply to monkeypudding Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.